Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest

Mingkai Jiang; Kristine Y. Crous; Yolima Carrillo; Catriona A. Macdonald; Ian C. Anderson; Matthias M. Boer; Mark Farrell; Andrew N. Gherlenda; Laura Castañeda-Gómez; Shun Hasegawa; Klaus Jarosch; Paul J. Milham; Rául Ochoa-Hueso; Varsha Pathare; Johanna Pihlblad; Juan Piñeiro; Jeff R. Powell; Sally A. Power; Peter B. Reich; Markus Riegler; Sönke Zaehle; Benjamin Smith; Belinda E. Medlyn; David S. Ellsworth

doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0

Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest

Mingkai Jiang, Kristine Y. Crous^* (Corresponding author), Yolima Carrillo, Catriona A. Macdonald, Ian C. Anderson, Matthias M. Boer, Mark Farrell, Andrew N. Gherlenda, Laura Castañeda-Gómez, Shun Hasegawa, Klaus Jarosch, Paul J. Milham, Rául Ochoa-Hueso, Varsha Pathare, Johanna Pihlblad, Juan Piñeiro, Jeff R. Powell, Sally A. Power, Peter B. Reich, Markus RieglerSönke Zaehle, Benjamin Smith, Belinda E. Medlyn, David S. Ellsworth

^*Corresponding author for this work

NIOO - Terrestrial Ecology (TE)

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The capacity for terrestrial ecosystems to sequester additional carbon (C) with rising CO2 concentrations depends on soil nutrient availability1,2. Previous evidence suggested that mature forests growing on phosphorus (P)-deprived soils had limited capacity to sequester extra biomass under elevated CO2 (refs. 3,4,5,6), but uncertainty about ecosystem P cycling and its CO2 response represents a crucial bottleneck for mechanistic prediction of the land C sink under climate change7. Here, by compiling the first comprehensive P budget for a P-limited mature forest exposed to elevated CO2, we show a high likelihood that P captured by soil microorganisms constrains ecosystem P recycling and availability for plant uptake. Trees used P efficiently, but microbial pre-emption of mineralized soil P seemed to limit the capacity of trees for increased P uptake and assimilation under elevated CO2 and, therefore, their capacity to sequester extra C. Plant strategies to stimulate microbial P cycling and plant P uptake, such as increasing rhizosphere C release to soil, will probably be necessary for P-limited forests to increase C capture into new biomass. Our results identify the key mechanisms by which P availability limits CO2 fertilization of tree growth and will guide the development of Earth system models to predict future long-term C storage.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0
Publication status	Published - 05 Jun 2024

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Jiang, M., Crous, K. Y., Carrillo, Y., Macdonald, C. A., Anderson, I. C., Boer, M. M., Farrell, M., Gherlenda, A. N., Castañeda-Gómez, L., Hasegawa, S., Jarosch, K., Milham, P. J., Ochoa-Hueso, R., Pathare, V., Pihlblad, J., Piñeiro, J., Powell, J. R., Power, S. A., Reich, P. B., ... Ellsworth, D. S. (2024). Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0

@article{6213709bb1b0485883b48876c99dec22,

title = "Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest",

abstract = "The capacity for terrestrial ecosystems to sequester additional carbon (C) with rising CO2 concentrations depends on soil nutrient availability1,2. Previous evidence suggested that mature forests growing on phosphorus (P)-deprived soils had limited capacity to sequester extra biomass under elevated CO2 (refs. 3,4,5,6), but uncertainty about ecosystem P cycling and its CO2 response represents a crucial bottleneck for mechanistic prediction of the land C sink under climate change7. Here, by compiling the first comprehensive P budget for a P-limited mature forest exposed to elevated CO2, we show a high likelihood that P captured by soil microorganisms constrains ecosystem P recycling and availability for plant uptake. Trees used P efficiently, but microbial pre-emption of mineralized soil P seemed to limit the capacity of trees for increased P uptake and assimilation under elevated CO2 and, therefore, their capacity to sequester extra C. Plant strategies to stimulate microbial P cycling and plant P uptake, such as increasing rhizosphere C release to soil, will probably be necessary for P-limited forests to increase C capture into new biomass. Our results identify the key mechanisms by which P availability limits CO2 fertilization of tree growth and will guide the development of Earth system models to predict future long-term C storage.",

author = "Mingkai Jiang and Crous, {Kristine Y.} and Yolima Carrillo and Macdonald, {Catriona A.} and Anderson, {Ian C.} and Boer, {Matthias M.} and Mark Farrell and Gherlenda, {Andrew N.} and Laura Casta{\~n}eda-G{\'o}mez and Shun Hasegawa and Klaus Jarosch and Milham, {Paul J.} and R{\'a}ul Ochoa-Hueso and Varsha Pathare and Johanna Pihlblad and Juan Pi{\~n}eiro and Powell, {Jeff R.} and Power, {Sally A.} and Reich, {Peter B.} and Markus Riegler and S{\"o}nke Zaehle and Benjamin Smith and Medlyn, {Belinda E.} and Ellsworth, {David S.}",

note = "Data archiving: waiting for mail",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0",

language = "English",

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issn = "0028-0836",

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Jiang, M, Crous, KY, Carrillo, Y, Macdonald, CA, Anderson, IC, Boer, MM, Farrell, M, Gherlenda, AN, Castañeda-Gómez, L, Hasegawa, S, Jarosch, K, Milham, PJ, Ochoa-Hueso, R, Pathare, V, Pihlblad, J, Piñeiro, J, Powell, JR, Power, SA, Reich, PB, Riegler, M, Zaehle, S, Smith, B, Medlyn, BE & Ellsworth, DS 2024, 'Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest', Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0

TY - JOUR

T1 - Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest

AU - Jiang, Mingkai

AU - Crous, Kristine Y.

AU - Carrillo, Yolima

AU - Macdonald, Catriona A.

AU - Anderson, Ian C.

AU - Boer, Matthias M.

AU - Farrell, Mark

AU - Gherlenda, Andrew N.

AU - Castañeda-Gómez, Laura

AU - Hasegawa, Shun

AU - Jarosch, Klaus

AU - Milham, Paul J.

AU - Ochoa-Hueso, Rául

AU - Pathare, Varsha

AU - Pihlblad, Johanna

AU - Piñeiro, Juan

AU - Powell, Jeff R.

AU - Power, Sally A.

AU - Reich, Peter B.

AU - Riegler, Markus

AU - Zaehle, Sönke

AU - Smith, Benjamin

AU - Medlyn, Belinda E.

AU - Ellsworth, David S.

N1 - Data archiving: waiting for mail

PY - 2024/6/5

Y1 - 2024/6/5

N2 - The capacity for terrestrial ecosystems to sequester additional carbon (C) with rising CO2 concentrations depends on soil nutrient availability1,2. Previous evidence suggested that mature forests growing on phosphorus (P)-deprived soils had limited capacity to sequester extra biomass under elevated CO2 (refs. 3,4,5,6), but uncertainty about ecosystem P cycling and its CO2 response represents a crucial bottleneck for mechanistic prediction of the land C sink under climate change7. Here, by compiling the first comprehensive P budget for a P-limited mature forest exposed to elevated CO2, we show a high likelihood that P captured by soil microorganisms constrains ecosystem P recycling and availability for plant uptake. Trees used P efficiently, but microbial pre-emption of mineralized soil P seemed to limit the capacity of trees for increased P uptake and assimilation under elevated CO2 and, therefore, their capacity to sequester extra C. Plant strategies to stimulate microbial P cycling and plant P uptake, such as increasing rhizosphere C release to soil, will probably be necessary for P-limited forests to increase C capture into new biomass. Our results identify the key mechanisms by which P availability limits CO2 fertilization of tree growth and will guide the development of Earth system models to predict future long-term C storage.

AB - The capacity for terrestrial ecosystems to sequester additional carbon (C) with rising CO2 concentrations depends on soil nutrient availability1,2. Previous evidence suggested that mature forests growing on phosphorus (P)-deprived soils had limited capacity to sequester extra biomass under elevated CO2 (refs. 3,4,5,6), but uncertainty about ecosystem P cycling and its CO2 response represents a crucial bottleneck for mechanistic prediction of the land C sink under climate change7. Here, by compiling the first comprehensive P budget for a P-limited mature forest exposed to elevated CO2, we show a high likelihood that P captured by soil microorganisms constrains ecosystem P recycling and availability for plant uptake. Trees used P efficiently, but microbial pre-emption of mineralized soil P seemed to limit the capacity of trees for increased P uptake and assimilation under elevated CO2 and, therefore, their capacity to sequester extra C. Plant strategies to stimulate microbial P cycling and plant P uptake, such as increasing rhizosphere C release to soil, will probably be necessary for P-limited forests to increase C capture into new biomass. Our results identify the key mechanisms by which P availability limits CO2 fertilization of tree growth and will guide the development of Earth system models to predict future long-term C storage.

U2 - 10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0

DO - 10.1038/s41586-024-07491-0

M3 - Article

SN - 0028-0836

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

ER -

Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest

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